The Oklahoma City Thunder could smell a victory in Game 1 when Chet Holmgren went to the foul line for two free throws with just 9.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Monday night's series opener against the Denver Nuggets.

Oklahoma City was ahead by a point when Holmgren got fouled by Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, which led to his opportunity at the charity stripe with a chance to extend the Thunder's lead to three points.

But the former Gonzaga Bulldogs star failed to make either attempt, giving the Nuggets a chance to take the lead and possibly win the game with a bucket, which they did, as Aaron Gordon drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.1 ticks left in regulation. That basket turned out to be the game-winning make for Denver, as the Nuggets stole Game 1 via a 121-119 score.

Holmgren didn't make any excuses for his crucial misses. Instead, he took responsibility, as the Thunder look to recover right away from a painful loss.

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“I have to be better. I'm not one to shy [away] from accountability,” the 23-year-old Holmgren said after the game (h/t Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman).

“I have to be better. I have to execute better, especially down the stretch. We worked too hard as a collective, and we're too far along in this thing for situations like that to happen,” the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft added.

Holmgren, who averaged 18.5 points in the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies, put up 12 points in Game 1 of the Nuggets series, shooting 5-for-11 from the floor while missing all of his three attempts from behind the arc. He also garnered six rebounds, four blocks and two assists in 28 minutes.

Holmgren and the Thunder knew that the Nuggets were going to be tough customers, especially since Denver has three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic in the fold. The smallest of details could spell the difference in this series, such as missed free throws and bad decisions made in crucial moments. The Thunder will try to catch up with Denver and tie the affair at 1-1 before the series shifts to Mile High City for Game 3 and Game 4.